


On His Dance Card

by embroiderama



Category: White Collar
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, Multi, Romance, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-21
Updated: 2012-11-21
Packaged: 2017-11-19 04:50:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/569301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embroiderama/pseuds/embroiderama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal completed his sentence, Diana got married, and Peter decided it was time to dance</p>
            </blockquote>





	On His Dance Card

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something short and happy, so this happened.

Peter sat back in his chair next to June and watched Neal and El move across the dance floor together. There was no lack of couples dancing at Diana's wedding, but Peter had eyes only for his wife and his lover. El wore a bright blue dress with a skirt just full enough to shift and flow around her legs as she moved, and Neal's suit was pale gray, tailored perfectly to show off the lines of his body. They kept enough distance between their bodies to avoid making it obvious to all and sundry that they were lovers, that they'd been sleeping together for over a year, but Peter didn't know how anybody with a pair of eyes could miss how in tune they were with each other.

Officially, Neal was attending the wedding with June as his date. Then again, Neal had been officially free of the anklet for almost a month, and he no longer directly reported to Peter at work. He and Diana had joked, when she and Christie finally set a date after _finally_ reconciling, that she would be putting on the shackle just after Neal shed his. But when Peter pulled his gaze away from Neal and El to see Diana and Christie dancing together he knew there was no shackle involved, just love.

Peter knew the look when he saw it.

"They're good," June said, tilting her head to talk into Peter's ear as she casually pointed out Neal and El.

"They sure are. Those classes El and I took before our wedding took a little more for her than for me."

"Oh, you do just fine. Even better, I'm sure, with the right partners."

Peter looked down, blushing stupidly even though he knew June was aware of their relationship, had been aware nearly from the beginning. Neal was still living with June while he went about the slow process of trying to find an apartment. They'd talked about him moving into the house, but Peter was worried, worried about what people at the Bureau would think, how it would reflect on the four years he and Neal had worked together as agent and CI.

He worried, too, about how he'd feel if he committed himself fully only for Neal to leave, but it was hard to focus on that when he'd just watched Diana and Christie commit to a life together after years of coming together and pulling apart. He'd never seen Diana so happy as when she slipped her ring onto Christie's finger, and the echoes of that happiness filled the room.

Peter shifted forward on his chair. "If you don't mind me leaving you alone, I'm just going to--"

"For goodness sake, Peter, go!" June laughed, and Peter let it fade behind him as he walked onto the dance floor and up to Neal and El.

"May I cut in?" he asked, looking at them both.

"You already had your dance, Peter. It's my turn." Neal smiled and moved as if to sweep El off into the dance again.

Peter looked at El, and she nodded. Of course she already knew what was going on in his head; she always did. "But I haven't had my turn with you," he said, taking Neal's hand.

Neal froze for a long breath, then squeezed Peter's hand. "Really? You sure?"

"What better place?" Peter looked around the room at the couples of all different configurations, so many of their friends around them.

"I like the way you think." Neal moved into Peter's arms as El stepped away.

Peter stopped worrying about what other people might think, what might happen in the future, and what his feet were supposed to be doing. He just pulled Neal in close, no illusion of distance between them, and let Neal lead him as they moved to the music. Neal's body was slim and strong, warm and familiar in his arms, and the strangeness of being together in public melted away. They'd watched for cues and followed each other's moves for years, dancing was nothing to worry about.

"What inspired you to do this?" Neal asked as they swayed together.

"You're a free man," Peter said, knowing the words sounded stupid and obvious.

"I am. I'm planning to stay that way, too."

"You could go anywhere, but you're here."

"Well, I think there are still some museums and maybe a few palaces where I'm not welcome."

"Neal," Peter growled quietly.

Neal looked Peter in the eye. "I'm here, and so are you. And so is El. Here is where I want to be."

"Yeah?" Peter held Neal's gaze, and there was nothing but honesty there. Honesty and love. Peter smiled and bent his head down for a light kiss. "I'm glad."

The song ended, and the band started gearing up for some 80s dance song so Neal and Peter fled back to their table. He caught El and June watching, grinning over their drinks, and he got the impression that other people might have been watching, but he didn't particularly notice.

Neal bent in front of El and kissed her on the lips, and a whistle came across the room that could only have been Diana. A flush went up the back of Peter's neck, and he wasn't sure how much was embarrassment and how much was arousal. Surprisingly, he didn't even care.


End file.
